Utría National Park

You will be met at Medellin International Airport and transferred to the hotel. Depending on the arrival hour we may squeeze some birding along the way towards the hotel. 

After breakfast at the hotel we will take our mid-morning flight to Bahía Solano, a small town located close to the golf of Tribugá. Right after landing we will make the 45min drive to the town of El Valle birding on the way with the possibility of species such as Rose-faced Parrot, Tiny Hawk, Chocó Toucan, Tawny-crested Tanager, Black-breasted Puffbird and more. 

After some relax-time after lunch, we will explore the surroundings of the lodge looking for common species such as Pacific Antwren, Flame-rumped (Lemon) Tanager, Golden-hooded Tanager, Slaty Spinetail, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Common Black-Hawk and others. 

Night a El Valle (Almejal Ecolodge)   

With the first lights we get ready for a full day at the trail that connects El Valle with the Utria National Park, a 12km track with well conserved Chocó lowland forest mix with cattle pastures and secondary forest. On this trail we will be looking for a good amount of Chocó specialties such as Berlepsch’s Tinamou, Chocó Sirystes, Gray-headed Chachalaca, Black-tipped Cotinga, Streak-chested Antpitta, Pied Puffbird, Chestnut-headed Oropendola, Rose-face Parrot, White-ringed Flycatcher, Black-striped Woodcreeper, Cinnamon Woodpecker, Choco Toucan and many more. Geoffroy’s Tamarinds are very common on this trail.

Night at El Valle (El Almejal Ecolodge)

After a very early breakfast, we pack our things for a 1h45min boat ride to the spectacular Utria National Park, a beautiful ensenada where humpback whales migrate to give birth to their young. Our first stop here will be at Cocolito trail, looking for one the most enigmatic and sought-after Chocó endemics, the Sapayoa. After this, we will hit the main area of the national park, a beautiful boardwalk that cross pristine mangroves,  where the mangrove-specialist Humboldt’s Sapphire thrives, as well as some chocó lowland rainforest with species like Baudo Guan, Great Curassow, Stub-tailed Antbird, Blue Cotinga, Black-tipped Cotinga, Scarlet-browed Tanager, Moustached Antwren and many more.

This day is all about road birding, spending the whole day on the road that connects the towns of El Valle with Bahía Solano, looking for yet more Chocó specialties like Blue-whiskered Tanager, Rufous-winged Tanager, Scarlet-and-white Tanager, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Tiny Hawk, Purple-crowned Fairy, Tawny-crested Tanager, Dusky-faced Tanager, Dusky Pigeon among others.

 Night at Bahía Solano

After an early start, we will take a 20min boat ride to the spectacular Jardín Botánico del Pacífico, where we will spend the whole day searching for Red-capped Manakin, White-ruffed Manakin, Sapayoa and with some luck, Yellow-eared Toucanet. Both Harpy Eagle and Ornate Hawk-Eagle have been reported with active nests, so if we are the right season, we may enjoy some of the nesting behavior of two of the must impresive neotropical raptors. 

The Humboldt’s Sapphire is very common in the mangroves at the entrance of the Botanical garden, so if we have missed it in Utria, we for sure will see it here. 

Night at Bahía Solano

Usually, the flights are in the mid morning, so we will have a few hours to bird around Bahia Solano before leaving for Medellín.